GrantRadar

Point North

SWEF Business Grant

Grants from SWEF Enterprise, managed by Point North, for young people aged 18 to 30 in County Durham, Tees Valley, Tyneside, Wearside and Northumberland who are running a business that has been trading for under two years. A Start-Up Grant of up to £500 is for pre-revenue or early-stage businesses turning over less than £500 a month; a Business Grant of up to £2,000 is for businesses trading under 2.5 years and turning over more than £500 a month. It is a grant, not a loan, and young people not in education, employment or training are encouraged to apply. There are no deadlines.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£500 – £2,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Young people aged 18 to 30 who currently live in County Durham, Tees Valley, Tyneside, Wearside or Northumberland, are from a low-income household or face other barriers to developing their business, and are the majority shareholder in a business (individuals or teams) that has been trading for less than two years
  • The business must be registered as a sole trader or a limited company/CIC limited by shares, and you must be able to show the time and resources you have already put into it, for example a first sale or free work done to build examples
  • The business must have, or will open, a business bank account
  • You can hold only one grant per year from the fund

What it funds

  • Equipment that will help a business increase production where there is proven demand
  • Materials/stock for a new product line
  • Prototypes
  • Website/booking system build
  • Training
  • Product development

What it will not fund

  • Salaries
  • Debt repayment
  • App development or software development costs
  • Rent and utilities
  • Stock for an existing product line
  • Equipment or products relating to invasive beauty treatments
  • Ongoing software subscriptions
  • New computers, phones, tablets (refurbished technology may be considered on a match-funded basis)
  • Applications solely for business ideas

How to apply

  1. Read the application guidelines
  2. Ask a reference (such as a tutor, support worker or employer) who can speak to your character, potential and circumstances to complete the first section of the online application form
  3. Complete sections two and three about you, your business and the difference the grant will make, giving a specific amount, a specific use and links or quotes for what you will buy
  4. Submit the form via the online portal (https://ukcommunityfoundation.my.salesforce-sites.com/forms/PointNorth/SWEF/2024)
  5. Point North checks the application is complete and eligible and shares it with SWEF Enterprise, who may invite you to a 30-minute online meeting
  6. Receive a decision after the meeting

if successful, the grant is paid into your business bank account, must be spent within one month, and an end-of-grant report is due after 12 months.

incomplete answers mean the application will not progress.

Have ready

  • A reference from a tutor, support worker or employer (completed within the application form)
  • Links to or quotes for how the funds will be spent

for refurbished technology, a link to the specific item and an explanation of why it is needed.

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